Superfortress Boeing USAAF B-29A
Kit: Superfortress B-29A – Academy 1/72 scale
Model finished: October 2018
Modeler: Roberto Lúcio / [email protected]
Club: GPP-JG400 – Grupo de Plastimodelismo e Pesquisa JG-400 / Natal – RN - Brasil
I've always wanted to build a B-29, but I protected a lot because of lack of space to accommodate the model ready. After installing a suitable furniture at last I had the courage to do it. I chose the Enola Gay for its historical importance, so much so that I made a simple vignette depicting the famous scene in Tinian (Mariana Island), in the preparations for the first atomic bombing.
The kit has the traditional characteristics of the Academy, presenting correct proportions, recessed panel lines, but still with some lacks and missing details, with a special work for the adjustment, lot of putty and recovery of the lines of the flaps. The building was almost out-of-the-box type, with few modifications and inclusions. The standard paint to simulate natural aluminum was made with Primer Tamiya, white Poliuretane base and Chromenox, with Polyester aluminum applications to give difference of brightness in some panels.
The greatest difficulty of information was about the panels on the wings. There are many discussions and controversies on the Internet on this issue, as there were apparently painted and unpainted aircraft, but with plates with a different colors from the others. I decided to use the system adopted by the Enola Gay that is exhibited in the museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, based on photos that I made myself during my visit in 2005. In other words, I painted those panels in gray color, with tonal adjustment also based on the photos, not in the FS quoted in some forums.
The other inclusions in the vignette were based on various photos available on the internet, such as the trailer of the bomb in scratch, the tractor that was made from a Hasegawa modified kit, a fuel tank truck also of Hasegawa, and the excelent Airfix Jeep.
Anyway, maybe it is not a model worthy of presentation in events nor much less of awards, but it brought me much pleasure and fun its assembly, and now being finished is one of the models that I like most in my collection. In fact, for me, pure entertainment is the main reason for practicing this wonderful hobby, which I have practiced for more than 40 years.
Main research sources:
B-29 Superfortress In Action – Squadron Book.
https://airandspace.si.edu/udvar-hazy-center
https://gallery.ipmsusa3.org/index.php?/category/b-29-enola-gay
https://warbirds.fandom.com/wiki/B-29_(Enola_Gay)_44-86292
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/enola-gay.html
http://thegreatcanadianmodelbuilderswebpage.blogspot.com/2016/02/boeing-b-29-45-mo-enola-gay.html
https://www.meshfactory.com/aircraft/aircraft-military/b-29-superfortress-enola-gay
http://sheperdpaine.atspace.com/b29.htm
Nicely presented, sir...good work.
Thank you, Graig.
absolutely awesome work sir
Thank you, Bob.
Well done - like what you did with the paint work.
Thank you, Greg.
Nicely done Roberto, really like the addition of the support vehicles as well as the bomb.
Thank you so much, Tom.
Nicely presented Roberto, well done.
Thank you, Allan.
I am really impressed with this work, from beginning to end. Superb work on the NMF.
Thank you, Tom.
Great job.
I have a similar B-29 in my stash (Old Battler). Did you need to use any nose weight? If so, where and how much?
Thank you, Tom. @wilrogjr
There is no really where to put weight. In these cases I use to adjust a very thin and small wire in "L" style to hold the nose wheel on the ground. Can you see in the picture?
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.